, 1887-08-26

NEW works. FISH MARKET.
The Noisiest and Busiest Spot for Its
Size in All New York Harbor.

inc Noisiest and Busiest Spot for Its
Size In All New York Harbor.
just north of historic Fulton ferry, and
across South street, exactly opposite his
toric Fulton market, is New York's whole
sale fish market, the noisiest and busiest
spot for its size in all New York harbor.
II l. a two story structure, perhaps 200
feet long, half rs wide, and eighteen firms
occupy equal open space in it, extending
from South street back to East river.
The building stands on lane leased from
the city, is owned by the Astronomers
association, which is composed chiefly of
these wholesalers, who thu practically
rent from themselves. From seven to ten
'journeymen," or fish handlers, are en-
ployed by each firm. In the slip at the
end of the building the fishing fleet which
makes New York a market, numbering
100, tie up when in port and discharge
their catches" These smacks are gen
orally schooner rugged, two masted boats,
and one is n mode of another throughout.
although they come here from a distance
OF LOCO miles each way along the Atlantic
coast. The hold of each is called a ''well,"
and in this and packed in cracked ice the
fish are brought to market. Up forward
there is a smaller ''wellr for live fish, and
through this the water flows freely.
Work begins at the market at 5 in the
morning, and never ceases an instant I'M
til 4 in the afternoon. From daylight the
unloading is pushed until completed. A
block and tackle are rugged at the smack's
head. Wicker baskets holding possibly
2OO pounds of fish are rapidly hoisted from
the well" where the smack hands scoop
them up in the most business like way.
These are lowered to the deck like surface
of scors of cars, or huge floating crates for
1--we fish and turtles, always at anchor be-
tween the smacks and the market, caught
by men with large steel hooks, dragged
swiftly over the slippery cars, hoisted
into the market, again grabbed and
dragged to the scales, weighed, pitched
into flat tanks, sorted, packed with fresh
ice in boxes and carried away for ship
menS-all within fifteen minutes after
leaving the smack's well.
The greater portion of the fish received
is disposed of with rapidity as the perma-
nent advance orders will easily permit it:
but all day long the trucks fill South
street in front of the market doors, and
the rush and craze inside are something
terrible indeed. Every one seems wild
with effort; and the banging of baskets,
the changing of scales, the chiseling of ice,
the clamor of telegraph boys, the bowling
out orders, the smashing and sweeping,
the hammering on boxes, the quarreling
of journeymen, the yelling upon every
imaginable pretext, and the really ire
mendous amount of labor performed give
the place a wholesome horror for all not
having necessary business with it. Ii adj
dition 10 the fish brought here by the
fleet, three carloads are sent on every
night from Boston; and all this vast
amount of fish is handled in this compact
space and by these few men. The best
way to realize what this labor, system and
effort must be, is to simply comprehend
the fact that $50, 900 pounds are required
every day in the year, or 81, $50, 900 an
nuully, to feed New York and fill New
York orders, every ounce passing in and
out of this ''demnition moist, unpleasant"
waterside pandemonium.-Edgar L.
Wakeman's New York Letter.